Variable-speed mechanism.



No. 861,082. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907. W. BOWNE, Jn & M GRONKHITE VARIABLE SPEED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

Lf INVENTORS Z n; E W M r. 0 5% w a A Z WITNESSES -tion, will be understood from ITED STATES PATENT ornron.

WALTER BOWNE, JR., AND MINTON GRONKHITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VARIABLE-SPEED MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it lmown that we, WALTER BOWNE, Jr., and MIN- TON CRONKHITE, both citizens of the United States, and

residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhat; tan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Variable-Speed Mechanism, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for varying the speed of a driving shaft, and is especially designed to be used in connection with motor vehicles, although adapted for various uses.

Other objects relating to the specific construction and special arrangement of the several parts of our inventhe following description and accompanying drawings, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan of a device embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 isavertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an operating lever for varying the speed of the driven shaft.

As illustrated in the drawings, the operating elements of our device are mounted upon a main frame, comprising longitudinal side bars 1 having transverse bars 2, 3 and 4 connected therewith. Diagonally extending bars 5 are attached at one end to the side bars 1 and at their opposite ends to the transverse bars 3. Guideways 6 are mounted upon the diagonal bars 5, and are preferably connected together by means of a bent cross bar Auxiliary guide bars 8 are secured to the side bars 1 preferably by means of off-set ends 9, and are provided with guide-ways adapted to receive racks 10 which are connected with a transverse rock shaft 11 by means of crank arms 12 fixedly secured to said shaft.

The shaft 11 is journaled at its ends on the side bars 1 of t e main frame, and is provided with an operating lever 13 adapted to rock said shaft and to reciprocate the racks 10 in the guide bars 8, and thereby rotate idle pinions 14 which are journaled in bearing boxes 15 secured to the diagonal bars 5. These pinions in turn mesh with the teeth of'racks 16, indicated by-dotted lines in Fig.

1, and thereby reciprocate said racks longitudinally of the diagonal bars 5. I The racks 16 are provided with laterally extending arms 17 which are provided with bearings for diagonally extending rotatable shafts 18 journaled in bearing boxes formed on laterally extending arms 19 and connecting bar 7 of the guide-ways. These shafts are provided on one end with fly wheels 20 and on their opposite ends with engaging beveled gears 21.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 14,1907. Serial N6. 352,112..

Patented July as, 1907.

Ratchet wheels '22 are splined on the shafts 18 by means of keys 22 adapted to'fengage longitudinal seats 18 formed on the shafts 18. "flhese ratchet wheels are preferably provided with sleeve's' 23 upon which are freely mounted pinions 24, held in place on said sleeves by means of nuts 25, shown in Fig. 3. The pinions 24 engage the teeth 26 of a cone 27 arranged in two opposite series, the teeth of each series extending parallel with each other and converging with the'corresponding teeth of the opposite series'on opposite sides of said cone. The cone 27 is mounted on arock shaft 28 having its ends journaled in suitable bearing boxes on the cross bar 4 of the main frame and the bent connecting bar 7 of the main guid'e frame. A rock arm 29 is fixedly secured to the shaft 28 and provided with a slot 30 adapted to receive a'pin 31 attached to a gear 32 which stud 33 attached to the' is mounted to rotate idly on a crossbar 4 in any suitable manner. A gear 34 meshes with the'gear- 32 and is fixedly attached to a driving shaft 35 which is also journaled on the. cross bar 4, and connected with driving mechanism of any suitable construction. Pawls 36 are pivotally attached to the side of the pinion 24, and are arranged at unequal distances from each other so that one of the pawls will be in engagement with one of the notches of the ratchet wheel, while each of the remaining pawls occupy different positions relatively to the adjacent teeth of the ratchet, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby avoiding any lost motion as the shafts 18 are rocked in their bearings. Springs 37 bear against the pawls 36 and hold their ends against the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The meshing gears 21 attached to the rock shafts 18 are connected with a beveled gear 38 fixedly attached to a rotating shaft 39, which is alsoprovided with a beveled gear 40 meshing with a corresponding beveled gear 41 attached to one end of a rotating shaft 42 which is journaled in suitable bearings in boxes mounted on the cross bars 2 and 3 of the main frame. The shaft 42 is provided on its opposite end with a gear wheel 43 adapted to engage correspondingly beveled-gears 44 attached to a sleeve 45 which is 'splined on a driven shaft 46, and preferably provided with collars 47 adapted to be operated by a hand lever 48 that is pivotally secured by means of a pivot pin 49 to an auxiliary frame 50 attached to or connected with the main frame.

When the device is in operationythe shaft 35 is rotated by the motive power operating the device, and the gear 34 on said shaft rotates the gear 32 which is mounted 'upon the stud 33. The rotary motion of the gear 32 is transformed into a rocking movement by means of the pin 31 attached to said gear which engages the slot 30 of the rock arm 29 fixedly attached to the I teeth of the sprocket wheels 22.

, ing the shaftll, however,

24 and ratchet wheels '22 mounted on thereby increasing the speed ,oi -the driven shaft as the shaft and to the cone 27 mounted thereon. As the come 27 is rocked the teeth of one of the series rotate the pinions 24 mounted on' the shafts 18. 'These sprocket wheels being freely mounted on the shafts 18 and provided with pawls 36, rotate freely in one direction on the shafts 18, and in the opposite direction they rotate with the shafts 18 because of the pawls 36 engaging the A positive drivingmovement is thereby communicated alternately from the c'one 27 to each of the oppositely disposed shaits18. The rotation of said shafts is communicated through the gear wheels 38 and 40 and the rotating shaft 39 to the gears 41 and 4.3, and the shaft 42 upon which they are mounted, thereby producing a continuous rotary; motion of said shaft. The driven shaft 46 is rotated in either direction by bringing oneor the other of'the gear wheels 44in contact with the gear 43. The speed at which the driven shaft 46 is rotated is determined by the position 'of the pinions 24 on the longitudinal lines of the cone. When the pinions are arranged in the poj rock shaft and provided with opposite series of parallel to the axial line of said I .sition shown in Fig. 1, the driven shaft will be rotated at about its medium speed, or slightly faster. By rock- 7 by means of the operating lever 13, the raclrs 10 are moved in the guide-ways on which they are mounted, thereby rotating the gears ways of the bars 6, which carry with them the pinionse the shafts l8,

I pinions are moved toward the larger end of the cone,

toward the smaller end of said cone.

and decreasing the s eed as said wheels are broughfi Locking mechanism of ordinary construction, such as a notched seg ment and engaging latch, may be connected with the lever 13 to hold the racks 10 against longitudinal movement, therebykeeping the pinions in any desired position relatively to the surface of the cone 27.

' In the construction herein shown and, described, we. I

haveernbodied our invention in its preferred form." We donot desire to be limited to the special arrange ment of the .several elements shown herein, as other means having capabilities may be used without departing from our invention. I

Having thus described our invention, what we as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with -a rotatahle'drlving shaft,: of a: rock shaft connected therewith,

teeth, rotatable shafts arranged-on opposite sides ofthe'f cone, wheels adjustable longitudinally of and operatively,

I connected to said shafts, engaglng-saidcone; and a driven;

parallel teeth, and arotatahle driven shaft connected with said conefsubstantially as shown and described.

' 3. The combination with a rotatable drivingshaft, ofa' rock shaft connected therewith, a cone fixedly secured to' V said rock shaft and provided with oppositefseries' of teeth inclined to the a rial line of said "cone, rotatable shaftsar ranged on opposite sides of said cone, pinions' "loo'sely mounted on said shaft, ratchet wheels splined on said shafts and operatively connected with said pinlons, and a parallel teeth, a driven shaft, nesting said cone'wlth a cone mounted 'on' said; j rock shaft'and provided with opposite serles of parallel 50 I and "parallel. therewith, shafts and. provided with sleeves, pafwls engaging said driven shaft connected with said last named shafts, substantially as shown and described. v

4. The combination'with a driving shaft, o'f'a, rock shaft connected therewith, a cone mounted on said rock shaft and provided with oppositelydisposed series ofteeth ar ranged at an inclination to the axial line ofsaid cone, shafts arranged on opposite sides of said cone, pinions adapted to engage the teeth of said cone, freely mounted on said shafts and provided with a series of pawls arranged at? unequal distances from each other, and ratchet wheels splined on said shafts, and'a driven shaft connected with said last named shafts, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination with a,rotatable driving shaft, of a rock shaft connected therewlth, a cone mounted on said rock shaft and provide with opposlte'series of parallel teeth arranged at an inclination to the axial line of said cone, rotatable shaft mounted on opposite cone and connected with a driven shaft,

sides of said pinions freely j morinted on said shafts,ratchet wheels splined on said shafts and operatively connected with said pinions, -a

driven shaft, and means -for moving said \pinion' and 'ratchtwheels longitudinally of said shdfts, substantially 'as shownanddescrlbed. I

6. The combination with a rotatable driving shaft,,of a

rock shaft connected therewith, a cone mounted on said teeth arranged at an inclinatid shaft, shaftamounted on opposite sides of said cone and said lnion and ratchet/wheels, 14, which in turn shde the racks 16 along the guidep splined on s'aid shafts andppracks, adrivenshaft, and means for rotating said pinion's' and moving said racks longitudinally, v substantially as shown and descrilzied,"v

'7. The combination with a driving shaft, of a'roclr shaft -connected therewith, a cone mounted on said rock shaft and provided with'opposite series of parallel teeth arranged at an incllnation'to the axial line of said cone,

rotating shafts arranged on opposite sides ofsaid cone and connected with a driven shaft, ratchet'wheels spllned to said rotating shafts and providedwith sleeves, pinions journa'led on said sleeves, pawls" engaging said ratchet -wheels, a driven shaft,

rock shaft and provided with oppositely disposed series of described.

s. The combination; was a rotatabiedrlving shaft, a

t and provided with opposite series 0 parallel parallel therewith,

teeth arranged 'at an inclination to the axial'line"of"said cone, shafts arranged opposite 'to the sldesofsaid-cone ratchet wheels ,splinedyon said ratchet wheels, pinions journaled on"th e sleeves of the ratchet wheels,"raclrs-"mounted to "slide parallel with the sides of said cone and'provided'with arms mechanism engaging said. p'inions, comprising reciprocating pinions engaging said ratchet wheeis.,splined to said shafts, L "pi'nlons freely mounted on said ratchet wheels and adapted .to engage the teeth of said cone, beveled gears mounted on the ends of said shafts, a reversible driven shaft, and

I I connecting mechanism between said-driven shaft and'the shaft connected with said last named shafts, substantially connected with said ratchet wheels; pinions engaging said racks, operative and means for moving said pinions I 'iongitudinally of said hafts, substantially as shownand -)described.

8; The combination with a rotatable driving shaft,-of arock shaft connected therewith, a cone mounted on said means for operatively coni the driven shaft, and mechanism 1 for-reversing the drivenshaft, substantially as. shownand hafts arranged opposite said'cone,'substantially,as'shown [and described. I I I a'l m wo wi h a rotatable driving'shaft, 'of a rock. shaft-connected therewith, a 'cone mounted I rock shaft andprovided with opposite series 'ofparallel racks, a rock shaft connected therewith, and a lever mounted on said rock shaft, substantially as shown andv described.

11. In a variable speed mechanism, a rock shaft, a

cone mounted on said rock shaft and provided with oppositely disposed series of parallel teeth arranged at an inclination to the axial line of said cone, rotatable shafts arranged on opposite sides of and ,parallel with the sides of said cone, mechanism mounted to slide on said shafts 10 and adapted to have a sliding engagement with the teeth of said cone and operate said rotatable shafts, and a driven shaft connected to the rotatable shafts, substantially as shown and described. 7

In testimony whereof we have signed our: names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 15

WALTER BOWNE, JR. MINTO-N 'CRONKHITE. Witnesses:

.TNo. M. Rr'r'rnn, R. W. Hamnn. 

